Restasis made eyes worse??

[MeShell]

Has anyone experienced Restasis making their eyes worse? I did. I always had dry eyes but after being on Restasis it was unbearable. Can't stop blinking, can barely keep my eyes open. I also got blepharitis really bad. I stopped taking them around Christmas, and have seen a little improvement, but they still get really bad.

Did anyone else experience this or am I that one percent like I usually am?

Thanks,
Michelle

[Jellyb]

Hi Meshell,
No you are not the only one. I was on restasis for about ten months and the burning  was not so bad at first but as time went on, it got so bad it felt like I was putting lemon juice in my eyes, and it was making the skin around my eyes really irritated and raw.

I stopped using it and now use a preservative drop called Tears Natureal.  There are a lot of additives in restasis like polysorbate 80 ect. I was thinking I might be sensitive to one of the ingredients. But no surprise, I seem to react  to so many things that others don't.

[MeShell]

Thanks for the reply. Although I wish it had worked for you, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one!

[MeShell]

Just got back from the eye doctor. He said there is absolutely no way that the restasis made my eyes worse and that I should have kept taking it until 3 months as that is how long it can take to work. Since I insisted that it WAS what made my eyes worse, he said I don't have to take it. He put in temporary punctal plugs and I go see him in a week to see if they worked. They seem to actually be working already. I got some preservative free eye drops as well today. Eye doctor also says I won't get much relief until my stubborn rheumy puts me on some meds for the sjogrens. So I guess we will see at the end of February if my rheumy decides to finally do that!

[Iris]

It always made my eyes feel drier.. It burned really bad when I put it in my eyes the first time I used it and still did it about 10 months later when I stopped using it.. Now I just use serum tears and I keep Refresh Liquigel drops in my purse to use if I go out..

[jessiblah]

I found that it is very helpful for me. I still get really bad blephartis but i use ocusoft lid scrub and it helps a lot. I found though if i forget to take the restasis once then during the day i will occasionally get blurry vision. It is nothing like having to put otc drops in 20-25 times a day though so for that i am grateful.

[Jenny]

Yes, I definitely think it made mine worse. I tried it for about 4 or 5 months, burning the whole time. I went off and had plugs put in lower ducts and its been a huge difference. There are days now when I don't even use OTC drops.